Den Mother
by Cabbit and the Weasel
Summary: The Young Justice crew is getting a new Den Mother this month. However, instead of seeing a senior hero they have worked with before, a new hero is coming to Happy Harbor to keep Mt. Justice from devolving into teenage chaos. His name is Danny Phantom and he's only seventeen years old.
1. Prologue

**1/6/2019 EDIT: Added some text, took out the part where Danny knew Superman was from Kansas which isn't suppose to be common knowledge. It's subtlety easier to tell Danny doesn't like Superman much and vise versa.**

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 **Den Mother**

 _The Young Justice crew is getting a new Den Mother this month. However, instead of seeing a senior hero they have worked with before, a new hero is coming to Happy Harbor to keep Mt. Justice from devolving into teenage chaos. His name is Danny Phantom and he's only seventeen years old._

 _Robin is suspicious._

 _Wally is a non-believer._

 _Superboy is jealous._

 _Artimis and Megan are giggling._

 _And Kaldur just wants to figure out how to keep his team intact._

 **Mystery Hero in the League**

The silence of space was never deafening. It was a peaceful silence with a backdrop of stars and planets. Danny had only ever experienced the wonder of it once before and even then it had been all business and no play. He had to stop the tech savvy Technus from taking over the world after all. But those split seconds when it was just him and he could rejoice about finally being an astronaut for at least five seconds was everything to him.

But now, here he was again, somewhere in space looking through a clear window to the blue planet itself. He wasn't exactly sure how he ended up here, but the seventeen year old knew when not to complain about the impossibly awesome. This was one of those times.

Yet, the steady throb in his back where he was bandaged and the IV drip in the crook of one elbow gave him the constant reminder he most likely wasn't here of his own free will. Someone had to have brought him here to this spaceship thing.

Was it the Guys in White? He remembered how he got the back wound; it was from the ghost hunting organization. They had caught him off guard while he was flying home after a rare, peaceful patrol in Amity Park. However, much after the recognition of pain and then darkness was where his memory ends for the most part. Everything else was blurry, he remembered a dark figure waking him up, then falling, then waking once more, here in this room with an IV hooked up to him.

Danny was impressed he had stayed in his ghost form for so long while asleep. At least he hopes he did.

Lifting a hand to rub his dry, glowing eyes he sighed roughly. Glancing back to the bedside table he was at least thankful to whoever brought him here that they gave him water. Most people just sort of assumed that because of what he was he didn't need to eat.

Well, even full ghosts and halfa's have an appetite.

As he gulped down the room temperature water to sooth his dry throat the door gave a mechanical 'shwooshing' sound. Lowering the glass, the teenager turned electric green towards his mystery guest...or mystery savior, he was hazy on the details at this point.

A tall, well build man in black get-up stepped in and Danny's was sure his tired eyes became as wide as saucers as he took in the appearance of the man. There was a bat-like cowl over his eyes that hid his identity and a dramatic cape that brushed the ground. Danny's mouth opened, but nothing but a tiny squeak came out.

He knew the man.

Hell, he really would be clueless if he didn't.

Holy shit it's-

"Holy shit, you're Batman." Danny gapped in teenage wonder.

The man stopped in his approach of the bed and stared at Danny silently, Danny wasn't too sure what kind of expression he was making. But Danny could imagine the raised brow nonetheless and blushed in embarrassment.

"You've heard of me, but I can't say I'm familiar with you." The Dark Knight himself spoke and he was sure if everything wasn't in pain the halfa would be jumping on his bed in excitement. Because THE FREAKING BATMAN asked for his name. He was sure the absolute star struck expression he was making alluded to just how much he wanted to fan boy right now.

Instead, the boy just blinked up at the older hero with his starry eyed expression and processed the information. Oh my Ancients, he was asking for his name!

"I..uh, D-I mean, Phantom, sir...uh Batman sir..." he stuttered. Smooth Danny, real smooth. He must have looked like a constipated mess with how terribly he was stuck stuttering to one of his greatest hero's.

"Phantom?" he asked, crossing his arms. Danny bit his lips nervously and nodded.

"Interesting...Do you remember anything?"

"Uh...I was attacked, then I remember shortly waking up only to go back to sleep...Next thing I know, I'm waking up here-" he points to the bed. "and in space of all places!"

"You're in what's called The Watchtower, the headquarters for the Justice League. I found you in some facility in Gotham City about two days ago." Batman informed. Danny blinked again and thought hard...wait, did he say he was out for two days?

"Uh...what day is it, if I may ask?" Danny furrowed his brow. He was told and once more Danny's eyes widened, this time in horror.

"Oh...Oh crud, two weeks? I've been out of Amity for TWO WEEKS!" Danny forgot about the glass in his hands as it clattered to the floor as his hands rushed into his hair.

"Oh crud crud crud! Who knows what the ghosts have done while I was MIA! Oh crap Sam, Tucker...Jazz doesn't know where I am! I'm so going to bomb that science project that was due three days ago!"

Batman was silent as the white haired creature in front of him was lost in the midst of a freak out before clearing his throat to gain his attention. Slim shoulders flinched as the injured party looks back up sheepishly towards Batman with wide eyed worry.

"Panicking over the situation will not help anything. Can you walk?"

Quietly, Danny thought about it as he rotated his feet under their blankets before shrugging.

"Uh, dunno, probably be easier to just float right now." he admitted. Pushing the blanket off his legs and lifted off, eye level to the Gotham hero. They stared at each other for a moment too long and Danny awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. His ghostly tail twitched.

"Follow me." Batman finally said before turning back to the door, obediently, Danny followed.

It was a short trip down a hall and into an elevator up several floors. The trip was quiet and Danny for once didn't feel the need to ramble awkwardly.

Once the door open, the halfa was greeted to a large, round table with the well known hero's he's seen only in news articles on the Internet. With his mouth open in awe, he floated closely behind Batman as the other walked into the conference room, all eyes on him, many with open curiosity.

Batman pulled out a free seat from the table and motioned for Danny to sit. The teenager didn't need to be told twice and sat down immediately, looking up to Batman and worried his lip. The Dark Knight sent him another unrecognized glance before turning to his peers.

"This is Phantom, the kid I brought here a couple days ago." Batman introduced the teenager who now looked over the hero's from Superman who looked a bit uncomfortable in his presence, all the way down to Wonder Woman who furrowed her brow. He still held a clearly confused expression as he waved awkwardly towards the staring people.

"Um, hi..."

"Mind telling us what happened to you?" Superman crossed him arms in a show of authority, though not as effective as Batman, he gave the man props for trying. "In detail too if you will."

"Oh, sure...Um, where should I start?"

"How about where you came from?" A tall green man suggested impassively.

"Well, I'm from Amity Park Illinois, right before you cross into Wisconsin. It's a small town, not too flashy, hard to find unless you know where to look. Although, it's pretty well known to just about anyone who has a thing for the supernatural." Danny explained.

"Amity Park? Isn't that the town that suddenly disappeared for about a day some time three years ago?" Another hero spoke up curiously. Danny kind of didn't want to take him seriously when he looked like a buff Robin Hood.

"We never figured out how it came back or even why so few even recall it."

"Ah, I can explain that..." Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "See, this friutloop I know stole some very powerful artifacts from the Ghost King Pariah Dark. Angry, Pariah attacked my home town Amity and brought it into the Ghost Zone."

"I um, took care of it. So everything is back to normal...or at least, as normal as Amity has ever been, so it's ok now."

Looking up from the ground and into the silent stares of the Justice League the teen hero blinked and looked back down subconsciously. He felt fully aware of the eyes boring into him from not only Batman who hovered near him, but the rest of the conference present.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" The Flash waved his hands in the air. "Ghosts? Pariah Dark? Ghost Zone? What the heck is going on, what exactly are you?"

Danny frowned and tilted his head in confusion as he stared up at Flash.

"Wasn't it obvious? If Batman found me in some kind of lab, it was the Guys in White that caught me." he told to the blank stares of the super powered adults. But when he registered their mostly blank stares he nervously twiddled his thumbs and thought about how much he should say. He didn't usually make it a habit to talk about himself.

"Uh, you know...Guys in White? Inept, supposedly secret government sanctioned organization that hunts down ghosts to force painful experimentation on them before their total inhalation." Danny continued. Batman cleared his throat and caught the attention of the stressed out teenager.

"I wasn't aware of who the lab belonged to when I started to investigate their suspicious activity, and I found you before I was able to put a name to them."

"Seriously? Aren't you supposed to be the world's greatest detective?" The frown that marred the crusaders face made Danny flinch. He slouched down and mumbled an apology. To the League he looked no different from any other teenager that had been scolded by an authority figure.

"That doesn't really tell us what you are though and if you are a threat." Superman caught the room's attention once more. Danny recovered quickly and rolled his eyes. Superman sounded like all the thick headed people in Amity, back before it was common knowledge he was saving people from the other ghosts. He knows he can't really blame the man for any suspicions, but seriously? He hasn't done anything threatening in the least.

What was it with people and ghosts? If he didn't know better, he'd compare that mistrusting eye Superman studied him with to some narrow-minded, judgmental person. Funny, aren't superhero's suppose to see the good in people?

"Hello, ghost hunting organization, me found in their lab, I'm a ghost guys. Kinda obvious." he waved a hand over himself, his glowing eyes practically spoke the word 'duh'. The hero's at the makeshift round table stared incredulously as Danny stared back expectantly. The uncomfortable furrow in the man of steel's eyes was plain as day and it had Danny subconsciously scoot just a tad closer to the Gotham bat to hide himself behind his cape.

Danny knew that look well, and it never meant anything good for him. And with his condition not nearly as good as it could be, he doubted if the leader of the Justice League himself ordered his capture he would only be able to keep himself intangible and out of their clutches for but a few hours.

And he really didn't want to be caught in another cage so soon after his apparent rescue.

A large, green skinned man eyed him impassively. When he caught his gaze and a strange pressure was felt at the back of his mind, the ghost boy's bright green eyes widened at the man in fear before steeling himself and glaring, eyes glowing a threatening green as he pushed the presence away and locked his mind away from anymore prying eyes.

The man had the nerve to look slightly taken aback before clearing his throat as if nothing had just happened.

"I have had no experience with earth ghost so..." Martian Man Hunter began muttering.

"Solid?" Danny suggested.

"Human." the Martian corrected with a polite smile, the teenager shrugged.

"It all depends on the type of ghost you've run across."

"Fascinating..."

"Sure, let's call it that. Look, I'm not a bad guy...despite what so many people think, I'm the good guy here. And this good guy would like to go home to Amity Park now to make sure no ghosts have caused something to explode…Or the mayor got it in his head to try and flirt with my mom while I'm gone" Danny pointed out and looked back to the Dark Knight at his side.

"Can you, I don't know...beam me down now Scottie?"

Batman looked down at the ghost with a none too pleased expression. Green eyes looked down awkwardly with a stuttering laugh.

"Right...Batman, no sense of humor."

"I can prepare you to be transported to Happy Harbor Rhode Island, think you can make it home from there?" Batman asked. The teenager nodded with a please smile.

"I've had plenty of rest, thanks a lot for breaking me out and everything. But I really want to go home." He stood, legs swiftly dissolving into a wispy tail that twitched impatiently. He cast the hero's at the conference table another nervous, but shy smile before looking to Batman for guidance.

"We'll be in touch then, Phantom." Superman pursed his lips in thought at the boy's childish antics before letting the bat escort the ghostly kid to the Zeta Portals. When Batman returned with one less teenager the group at the round table looked to him expectantly.

"So...has anyone ever heard of this Phantom kid?" Flash spoke up with a raised brow. Batman walked up to the built in keyboard at his seat at the table and typed something in, a high tech, high resolution holograph screen in the center of the table flickered on and there in the center was a scene of the familiar ghost boy soaring through an unseen sky. He looked younger, but a smile was plastered on his face nonetheless.

Batman pulled up several files and news articles from over the last few years. Some of which didn't even have the white haired ghost under the same alias he gave them. The dark knights eyes studied the images the holograph projected of fourteen year old Danny Phantom being slammed into a collapsed building before he shot out and shielded a group of frightened civilians from a energy beam. Not all the civilians looked frightened by the beam more than the young hero himself.

"If he's the same Phantom that I think he is, then we may just have a new member to the league." Batman admitted with narrowed eyes. He typed something else in and the leaguers watched in fascination as the image changed to Phantom shielding an entire street of stunned bystanders from a falling billboard with some kind of energy. He looked older in the next few video's that followed, closer to whatever age he was now.

"The league? But he's got to be what, sixteen? Shouldn't we recruit him to The Team first?" Green Lantern furrowed his brow over to his friend. Batman stopped in his typing to glare across the table at the man.

"Phantom far out leagues The Team in experience and heroics if I'm being completely honest. He started showing up way before even the thought of letting our apprentices take charge of their own city became a reality. Phantom is also a protégé in his own right. There has been no information of his appearances prior to three years ago and judging by his earlier footage he was thrown into this hero business with no training what so ever. And despite that he's made a name for himself in his own corner of the world." Batman explained as the League watched in rapt fascination at several viral videos of the teenager in action.

"He's handled things we would have never let The Team handle on their own, let alone by themselves and he did so without a single casualty."

"Got to admit…kid's pretty bad ass." Green Arrow shrugged. His grin wide as holograph Phantom sent a giant ghost flying with a mean upper cut.

"If he's a ghost then he may not actually be a 'kid', you know?" Black Canary commented. "Though he seems to perceive a more juvinial personality, but it could just be because of the age he died…" the woman pursed her lips at that thought.

"And there would be nothing we could teach him that he hasn't already been through most likely…But…" Batman smirked.

"But?" Superman's brow rose, unsure what his friend was thinking.

"But there is plenty our kids can learn from him. He joins the Justice League." Batman ground out with no room for argument. Superman sighed.

"Then it looks like we'll have the youngest League member ever joining us soon." Superman agreed and looked across the table for any looks that could disapprove the decision.

There were none.


	2. Robin I

**Soo...uhhh MERRY LATEMAS!**

 **You all have been fantastic with the reviews, funny how I only posted the prologue as a teaser. I wasn't originally going to work of this fic until OoA and PoTJ's was at the 25 chapter mark. But with PoTJ's in the midst of an edit and the next chapter of OoA not written yet, I thought I'd spare you all and get Robins chapter out before another long wait for Kid Flash's. It also didn't help I had major writers block with trying to write this all year and didn't figure out a way until tonight at...11:47. It is now 12:33 and I want to sleep. I figured, if I couldn't get all of Robins chapter done in one go, I would split it in two. One in the begining, then one at the end.**

 **Also, yes, I realized by the time I posted this Danny isn't technically the youngest, seeing as Captain Marvel is actually a 10 year old. But let's say the League doesn't know that yet. I haven't seen the Justice League cartoons since….i think I was 13, I'm 25 now, so forgive me, my memory is spotty. And I didn't watch a whole bunch of Young Justice so everything is pretty much taking place sometime during YJ's first season, but not following the plots that took place during the show, because Conner and Miss Martian are still dating.**

 **Also, for those earlier reviewers wanting a Danny/Artimis or Danny/Miss Martian pairing…You are tough out of luck, I'm following canon pairing this time around and it won't even be a huge point. The only chapter that will get mentions of romantic partners is Superboys' anyways.**

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 **1/06/2019 EDIT: Ok, new text and dialogue added, GiW no longer called terrorists, but fanatics. The JL does not come across as scummy or manipulative anymore and Danny joins on his own free will under his own terms. And he is informed beforehand, and agrees to being the teams den mother, although reluctantly.**

 **Ok, I hope this much needed edit of this chapter is much more concise than it previously was, people who have read the chapter already may want to reread to update yourself on the new flow of the story and interactions.**

 **Also, thanks to The Sin of Justice for talking with me and giving your opinions on a better, less scummy way for things to play out **

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Things at home were a mess when Danny came back to Amity Park. Not ghosts-blew-it-up bad, but the Guys in Whites' facility had apparently gone up in flames.

His parents were actually terrifying it seems.

There was a great, big, dramatic reunion with his mom, dad, and sister who he had the awkward pleasure of walking in on as they were apparently strapping grenades to their belts as if they were on a mission. A blowing up of GiW buildings across the state to search for their son after their friends and sister spilled the beans sort of mission.

He was flattered, really. It was a massive weight off his shoulders when he walked in, they stared at each other and then his parents were suffocating him with bear hugs strong enough to break someone's spine. There was crying. Lots of it. Mostly on his dad's side, and his mom wouldn't stop running gloveless hands through his hair, or smooshing his face as if he weren't real. It pained him to realize how much his disappearance had shaken his parents, and he never wanted that to happen again.

But he probably could have done without the twenty-four hour velcro parents…

The best part about learning that his parents knew he was Phantom now, was that when it finally hit them, Jazz said they threw all hollow hatred for his ghost half away, because that was their son.

His parents still love him. That was all he needed in the world at the moment.

When he was finally settled back in, checked over for injuries, then dinner ordered from his favorite pizza place the family sat down to talk about what happened.

The Fenton's now owe the Justice League.

At least, that's how Danny's dad sees it. And the Fenton's always return a favor once you gain their gratitude, Dad's words, not his. Danny was fine with maybe never coming in contact with them again (all Hero worship of the Dark Knight not withstanding). Because he was uncomfortable with their scrutiny, Supermans' in particular and because that dude radiated heat like the sun and Danny was in no hurry to feel like he would melt on contact.

So anyways… Fenton side of his family must be some pretty obsessive people even compared to ghost, and Danny wasn't sure if that was funny, ironic, or both.

As it was, his family didn't have to figure out a way to contact the Justice League to swear their undying loyalty or whatever his dad was screaming about until the wee hours of the morning. Someone contacted the Fenton's through their publicized niche research papers, and seeing as they were the only researchers in Amity with ties to Phantom. Superman and Batman had requested they get in contact with Phantom for them.

When asked why, it wasn't only Danny who didn't quite know how to feel about the Leagues intent on Phantom joining their ranks. And if Danny was honest, he didn't really want to. He was content with dealing with the ghost problem in Amity Park, it was his problem, and the only problem he cared about. The Justice League had more than enough allies to handle the world's issues without lumping in a C average student in with them.

Not that they knew Phantom was an under aged, underachieving teenager that can't grow facial hair any more than he could grow height.

And Phantom, when 'contacted' said as much in not those exact words, but he was pretty sure his refusal was clear enough to be understood. Phantom's place was in Amity, punching ghosts and helping little old ladies across the street. Not terrorists. Or psychopathic millionaires (Except for Vlad, but he wasn't much for villainy anymore, he's really mellowed out in his old[er] age). Phantom was adamant that world saving was not his forte, just town saving and he was fine with that.

Superman's jaw dropped a little in disbelief that he was being refused and everything. Danny kind of felt proud at telling Mr. Red Blue and Spandex 'no'.

Batman was…well he was scowling, but from what Danny understood, scowling was Batman's default expression so he didn't know if he accepted his answer or not.

Which, didn't really bother Danny as much as he thought—refusing one of the big leagues leaders and all that. Danny just didn't want to deal with that…and leaving Amity if he was called to.

He thought he was being pretty reasonable in his refusal.

However…Some of the inner circle must not have gotten the memo.

Because they were _always_ popping into the area and trying to talk with him. It spooked him on more than one occasion that left him flying home in a blur honestly.

Danny doesn't talk to other hero's, he barely talked to the Amity Park news crew unless caught when there wasn't a ghost to catch. It just wasn't his thing, he wasn't use to it. No one had bothered to help him out before hand, so why start now? Because he said 'no' to the head honcho and that is a big no-no?

The halfa didn't understand adults.

The only one who he was even half inclined to at least give some of his time to was the off chance it was Batman hiding out in some alley or roof top during his late night patrols. The teenager owed him, the Dark Knight saved his life after all. And he at least didn't nag him about his desire to see Danny fight alongside them or whatever.

Curiously, he seemed to mostly be checking in on him. Though he didn't say that's what he was doing in so many words, but that was the impression the ghost boy got from him.

It was about that time that Fenton Inc., his parents company where they outsource their more basic household inventions, got a generous endorsement from that Wayne company in Gotham. There was even talk of the crazy rich company showing interest in his parents paranormal research.

When Phantom once brought it up with Batman, the older man simply smirked and made some vague comment about how the Wayne company often supported those related to the League in some way.

Danny was…less than enthused about what he could mean.

* * *

As for his parents, they were conflicted about what the League was asking of them and of Phantom. Of course the Justice League didn't seem to know that Danny Phantom was actually their son, Danny Fenton. Danny had always made sure that none of the hero's that popped in had followed him to a place that could be linked to the Fenton's. So the supers didn't know the unease they felt, letting their youngest child join an international superhero organization where he could be put into mortal danger—because yes, Danny was very much still capable of dying from things that could kill a human, he was just more durable.

His parents were with him when he refused the Justice Leagues offer.

They did, however, help the League in other ways to show their thanks though—in saving the local hero. His parents sent over Danny approved research into ghosts and revised much or their notes and even supplied the League with capture devices.

There isn't much ghost activity that really warrants Phantoms attention in any other parts of the world; Amity Park was ghost central for a reason. But that seemed to satisfy most of the League.

As for the head honcho's that run the place though...it just made them want him more. Danny felt like he should be worried.

* * *

It wasn't that Batman had to tell him everything. Robin, in some little part in the back of his mind knew Batman was a grown man and did not need his charge demanding answers from him when said charge was at least half his age.

It just….it would be appreciated to be told every once in a while when the Dark Knight himself changed the passwords to his restricted files.

Robin made it a habit to check into the restricted section of Batman's personal computer since joining this team of his. The dark city was still his home whether he now found himself in Rhodes Island or not. And they were proper superhero's—whether the league wanted to recognize them as such or not. And having the most up to date information on villains the League has on watch is always good to have on hand. You know, in case the team ran into one of them.

It was always good to be prepared, to have one up on enemies and such. Batman taught him that.

And ok, so there was also information on all the superhero's that were a part of the Justice League in the restricted section too, and with information not present in the Watchtowers master computer. And sometimes Robin liked to play at being perceived as omniscient like his mentor. There was nothing wrong with that either. Batman taught him well—regardless of how much it sometimes hurt for the mini caped crusader to admit.

So the least the damn guy could do was send an email or video message telling the child he raised and trained and what have you, that he changed the damn passwords to his computers restricted data!

Robin narrowed his eyes as his encryption key fail again in as many as the twenty minutes he's been running it to break the password block. That little part of him, the part that was suspicious and paranoid about everything and everyone was sending an alarm bell off in his brain.

Maybe he'd have to take a trip down to Gotham City to speak with his onetime mentor and guardian.

* * *

Of course Danny couldn't continue on as if the Justice League had never come into his alter egos life.

That would have been wishful thinking.

Danny, at some point within the same year did eventually find himself in a situation where he, his friends, and his family were sorely outnumbered and stretched too thin to handle on their own.

It was a bit of a pickle…And ok, so 'pickle' is putting the sudden, violent takeover of Amity Park by the Guys in White and putting all its citizens in serious danger mildly. But the attack on the town by the apparently now classified as a psychotic, fanatical group against those not strictly classified as a living, breathing human being from earth took him and the other inhabitants of the supernaturally charged town by horrific surprise.

Apparently, his parents just did not blow up enough of their 'research' facilities.

And the pristinely dressed soldiers were not just inclined to hurt others like Phantom. The whole towns innocents were a target, in just three days Amity was shut down and barricaded and everything was so much bigger and deadlier than some ghost popping into the human world for a bit of violent fun, or unfinished business. The GiW were out for blood. They wanted the Ghost Zone destroyed, they wanted Phantom dead, and they wanted each and every human being that sided with the inhabitants of the parallel world taken down with them.

Danny saw, with his own eyes his first dying man and the sudden and horrifying formation of a spirit killed in cold blood.

That was when he realized he had to call in professionals; he needed the Justice Leagues help.

It just so happened that one of the few times Batman had popped in like a demented, but cool uncle he had given Phantom a communicator that could get in touch with those in the Watchtower.

The call itself was in the early morning hours of the fourth day Amity Park was under siege. It was Batmans face that greeted him on the screen and the second Phantom's blood smeared face and lost expression and sallow complexion registered, his first words were:

"I'll send help imidiately."

In the proceeding call, to give the arriving group of hero's lead by Batman Phantom laid it all down in a rush that left him breathless and jumpy. He was running on hardly any sleep and dealing with witnessing his first real life death at seventeen; Danny wanted to cry, he didn't even have to ask. Help was coming.

The Guys in White were demolished before the end of the fourth day and Batman got a hug from the very tearful ghost hero of Amity Park.

And then quietly, Danny agreed on very strict terms, that he would join the Justice League.

Batman understood it was in name only and didn't try to fight the stubborn ghost on his terms like some of the others tried. For that Phantom-Danny, was grateful.

When Batman pulled Phantom aside, and things were said, Danny was even more grateful to have a secretive, and understanding man like him on his side. Because now it wasn't just his town Batman saved, but the Knight was even saving the truth about him under lock and key.

* * *

It happened on a Tuesday.

It wasn't a very important day. Nothing of note was planned, and there was no report from the Watchtower that would have informed the team on earth that anything was up. But suddenly the big names from the Justice League were not available.

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, Martian Man Hunter, the Flash, Hawk Girl, and maybe a few others had been sent out on something Batman thought to keep only in the inner circle of the JL. The hero that drew the short straw in monitoring the computer room when he called couldn't tell Robin much other than Batman had organized some kind of coup in a no name town that had called in for some help.

Zealots or something.

There wasn't anything on Rhode Island's local news, so Robin tried a few other news programs before not finding anything more other than accounts of a large group of hero's on the move. So Robin took to the online forums he liked to stalk and news reports there as well.

A name was mentioned. Amity Park.

'A nice place to live.'

Or, as some of his online haunts liked to say: A strange place for strange people.

But that was as far as the boy wonder had gotten. The media involving the small town in Illinois was surprisingly sparse online, it was like they were isolated from the rest of the country.

Robin gave up trying to dig too deep by the time he hit the touristy sites claiming Amity Park to be the most haunted place to live.

Batman was back at Gotham by the next day anyways so he could try and weasel out his computers password and shrug off whatever town saving mission they had gone on. Robin's thinking was, that if it had really been that important, there would have been more media outlets and viral videos trying to get reports and visuals out there.

* * *

Eventually, Danny began to be comforted by the idea of having people like those in the Justice League at his back. It had been around a month and a half and after thinking about it, as long as his terms weren't breached, he'd be willing to consider the superhero club good allies to have should another widespread attack-by humans-no less should happen again. Ghosts, he knew how to handle. Humans...not so much.

Danny was trusting the JL to not take advantage of this trust he had put in them. So far, they hadn't called on him for anything they couldn't already handle without him. No out of state supernatural issues, or portals leading to swirling green masses. Everything was looking to have calmed down.

Until today.

It was after school and he, Sam, and Tucker were walking home. Then the communicator in his bag started beeping. It was a bit of a scramble to find a hiding spot to transform in. It was Batman, asking—demanding really- in his very special Batman way that he was to come to the Watchtower as there was an ongoing assignment the main circle thought him best suited for.

And of course, now that phantom was now under Batman's thumb essentially and owed him a great deal, he heaved a great sigh in that way only teenagers could and agreed to travel via Zeta tube to the Watchtower in the next ten minutes.

Travel by zeta tube was a weird and disorienting experience.

Inside the Watchtower, Danny passed by the hero's that regularly called the space station home. Some looked at him, as they always did, caught off guard by his appearance in regards to his age. Though Phantom had made it clear to Batman he did not want any information about him out to the public, or even the other members, they still seemed to greatly enjoy gossipy speculation.

Floating up to a window that overlooked the earth, the ghost boy breathed in deeply before letting out another heavy breath. Because as much as he adored being out here, in space of all places, he did not want to be bothered by whatever assignment Batman wanted to give him.

Perhaps though, it will be something he could have done by dinner time.

* * *

He most definitely will not get the job done before dinner.

"You want me to what?" he asked to no one in particular as he stared at the main circle in incredulity.

"Typically it would be my rotation for the month, however I have some business overseas with a drug lord and cannot take over." Black Canary crossed her arms with a shrug.

"And everyone else?" Danny waved his arms across the group of responsible _adult_ hero's.

"Busy. We are literally only here to tell you what to do before we go back to the issues we were attending to." Superman pursed his lips.

"Did no one think a dead teenager watching a bunch of living teenagers is a disaster waiting to happen?" Danny groaned, arms up in the air as his ghostly tail wriggled under him. "I am literally the least qualified to babysit a human being! I've only babysat the Lunch Lady and Box Ghost kid once, then never again! You want to know why?" He gave the adults a wide eyed pleading look.

They just stared back in amusement.

"She almost got eaten by a giant snake monster in the zone! Lunch Lady almost chopped my head off with a cleaver!"

"Calm down Phantom." Batman ordered. "The team you will be keeping an eye on are mature enough. But there is more concerning the matter that we wanted to discuss..."

* * *

Robin pulled at his hair with a shriek of fury as once again, his attempts to get into the mystery file were rejected. Wally poked his head into his friend's door with a quirked brow.

"Still nothing on that pet project of yours?"

Robin answered with a frustrated yell and arm waving towards his computer. Kid Flash nodded sagely.

"Then maybe take a break and come back to it later?"

Robin screamed into a pillow; Wally gave a scandalized look.

"Well, no need to use that kind of language, Bats would be offended."

The speedster ducked with ease as a pillow flew at his face and he snickered.

* * *

"No."

"Phantom-"

"No, I really don't think I'd be much help." Phantom shook his head resolutely.

"You stay a week out of every month, teach them, show them how to handle the kind of situations they should expect as growing hero's" Black Canary was interupted by a groaning Phantom.

"I am perpetually always a teenager. I know how they act. We like to think we're matire, and know everything, but then you're being blamed for a mayor taking you hostage when you are trying to save an entire town from being possessed by the ghost police, and all you wanted to do that day was let someone else deal with it and go to sleep." Phantom deadpanned.

The Justice League gave Phantom a series of looks that ranged from incredulous to disturbingly curious. The white haired boy crossed his arms.

"Did that—"

"Yes, it happened."

"What—"

"I pissed of the warden because I was trying to get a present from the human world out of the Ghost Zone because someone forgot their anniversary."

"I—What?" someone hissed in a perpetual state of confusion.

"Can we get back on topic?" Superman pleaded with his head in a hand.

Danny narrowed his eyes at the adults.

"They aren't going to listen to me, I'm technically the same age as Aqua Lad."

"The kids would be far more accepting of advice from someone their age than that of an adults." Aqua Man sighed in resignation.

"The only way they wouldn't take advice from adults that have literally trained them for ages is if you had done something to loose all trust in you...or I don't know, you didn't take them seriously. Like ever." Phantom crossed his arms.

The Justice League, a group of grown adults with mad skills all collectively winced. The Ghost Boy flung his hands over his head in exasperation.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me?! How did you even-I'm just there to make sure something doesn't explode, right? That's all I have to do every month I visit them?"

"Pretty much, yeah." The Green Arrow admitted sheepishly.

"I cannot believe you guys!" Phantom moaned.

* * *

Robin slinked out of his darkened bedroom with a pout like any other young teenager would give when he didn't get his way. Walking down the hall, he stifled a jaw creaking yawn. He decided to take Wally up on his suggestion for a break after realizing just how sore his back and eyes were getting after slouching in front of a computer for hours on end in the dark.

And honestly speaking, the boy wonder was close to a serious rage quit. Trying to figure out what was in that file in the Watchtowers super computer was the hardest thing he'd ever tried to figure out, Batman surely out did himself with the protection of this person—whoever they were.

He didn't dare go to the man himself for answers or demand access by this point. Robin didn't think he could keep his calm composer if the Bat so much as smirked in his general direction.

Stepping into the kitchen for some much needed coffee the boy heard the raucous laughter of the other teenagers on the team located in Mt. Justice. Skulking over to make his presence known, Robin noted the teenagers in their usual seats as a cheesy sitcom played on the big monitor.

Megan was, as typical of these sit down days, sitting snug next to Conner who was scowling up at the program playing as he typically did when he didn't understand the joke.

Kaldur, who was comfortably sat in one of the lone arm chairs was the first to notice him skulk in. He was greeted with a patient smile and wave.

"I see you've come out of the Birds Nest." He says.

Robin squints at the older boy spitefully.

"Can we not call my room that? It's not cool, ool man, real ool."

Kaldur rolls his eyes and Wally, who was just now clearing his throat of a mouthful of chips, pats the empty space on the couch for him. Without another word, the kid takes care not to spill his hot drink right onto his lap as he slouches down with a tired, defeated sigh.

"So have you given up on that mystery file?" Artimis asked off-handedly on Wally's other side as she sipped at her drink. Robin groaned.

"I dunno what to even do anymore, maybe I'll come back to it after a rest."

"Maybe a shower too?" The Kid Flash wrinkled his nose. "Cause dude, you reek. How long have you been cooped up in that birds ne—"

"Call it what I think you're going to call my room and I will pour this coffee down your pants." The Boy Wonder threatened.

Wally's mouth shut tight, but glared playfully at his friend.

"Your sooo…ool."

It was then, that the monitor they had been watching some crappy sitcom on cut out to reveal Batman's facade. The teams joking manor chilled as they all looked to the adult, ready for whatever this sudden call was for.

"Expect Superman and I in twenty minutes, we have someone you need to meet." Was all he said before the call cut, leaving a room full of confused teenagers.

They looked amongst themselves for the answers, but with no knowledge of what was possibly going on it was anyone's guess.

"Think it could do with all of your attempts of getting into one of his private files?" Kid Flash nudged Robin. The dark haired boy crossed his arms, unsure how to answer.

"We will just have to see then." Kaldur spoke up as he started to make his way to the Zeta Tubes.

* * *

It was exactly twenty minutes when the Zeta Tubes activated, the VI voiced the arrival of both Justice League members. And that was expected.

What wasn't expected, was the announcement of a third party with Batman and Superman.

Someone called Danny Phantom.

Robin knew, in that moment, something was up.

"Team," Batman was the one to address the group of confused, but curious teenagers who were trying to see a figure just out of sight behind Batman, and noticeably trying to be as far from Superman as possible.

"Batman, Superman," Kaldur greeted civilly. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, not here exactly, but, well, a lot of your usual guardians will be indisposed right now. We've got a bit of a nationwide scramble today and no time to find someone to take charge of your training." Superman admitted.

"That's why we have made the unanimous decision to appoint you with a permanent overseer—"

"I am not going to be called an 'overseer'."

Batman brushed off the voice from behind him and continued talking.

"He has just recently joined the Justice League, but due to...circumstances cannot be called away from his town often. We expect him to be your permanent go between, between you and the Justice League. As well as a guide as you grow into your role as the registered hero's of this state." The Dark Knight explained, before stepping aside to reveal to Robin's well hidden surprise, a floating teenager, probably not much older than Kaldur.

Pale and washed out with skin like death and a shock of white, messy hair and an eye color that made him uncomfortable. His lower body was replaced with a gastly tail that faded into nothingness.

"Um…" The pale figure raised a hand awkwardly and waved at the silently freaking out, too shocked to speak audience. "Um…Hi?"


End file.
